Top 10 travel spots in the United States

by Tom Johansmeyer on

So, Orbitz noted when we like to travel … but where do we go? The top 10 destinations in the country were mostly predictable, with big tourist-magnet cities dominating the list. There were a few surprises, according to the information supplied by Orbitz: Boston, for example, didn’t make the list, after having ranked ninth in 2009. Los Angeles, fifth in 2009, also fell off in 2010. New Orleans and Honolulu debuted last year.

In the top 10 U.S. destinations last year, average daily hotel rates rose, yet some spots, like Las Vegas and San Diego, still offered great bargains, with rates well below 2008 levels still.

So, which cities are among our 10 favorites? Let’s take a look below!

1. Las Vegas, Nevada: Vegas was hit hard by the financial crisis – expect to see some deals there for a while

2. New York, New York: how can the Big Apple not be an ongoing favorite?

3. Chicago, Illinois: the top city in the Midwest just had to make the list!4. San Francisco, California: forget Los Angeles, this is the place to see out west

5. San Diego, California: again, this is a great alternative to Tinseltown

6. Orlando, Florida: remember that there’s more to Orlando than the theme parks

7. Honolulu, Hawaii: if you’re going to spend some time on the beach, do it right

8. New Orleans, Louisiana: it may have taken a while, but the recovery following Hurricane Katrina is definitely under way

9. Washington, DC: the allure of the nation’s capital can never be resisted

10. Miami, Florida: where else can you see and sample so many great bodies in one place? You have to check this out!

[photo Fabrizio Monaco via Flickr]

Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier sold for $34 million

by Joel Bullock on



Pacific Park, the amusement park at the iconic Santa Monica Pier, was sold for $34 million. The new owners are an Orlando-based real estate company called CNL Lifestyle Properties Inc. While the park’s name may not be familiar, many will recognize it from its appearances on television and in movies like Fat Albert, Cellular, and Jarhead. Santa Monica Amusements will continue to operate the park which attracts more than 4 million visitors a year.

While Pacific Park is a tiny amusement park, I had to see it in person when I visited Los Angeles a few years ago. West Coaster, the park’s sole roller coaster, is short and rather tame. However, there’s a great view of the ocean from the ride’s last helix. Also, I got two consecutive rides for $5, which isn’t a bad deal. Pacific Park is also home to the World’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel.

[Photo credit – Flickr user: hjl]

Related Video: How to Enjoy Santa Monica Beach and Pier by AOL Travel

New Los Angeles hotel, Mr. C., opens in April

by Melanie Nayer on

The Cipriani Family, most famous for running New York’s established Rainbow Room since 1999, just announced it will open a new luxury Los Angeles hotel called simply, Mr. C.

Slated to open in the spring of this year, Mr. C will be a 138-room boutique hotel with 12 suites, all ranging from 365-800 square feet. Each room comes with a private balcony and many have panoramic views of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. The hard wood flooring, burgundy and grey color palettes combined with dark wood accents add a bit of mystique to the stylish interior of the hotel. Vintage black and white film photography lines the walls and rooms, playing on Los Angeles’ iconic and historical moments.

The hotel will also have five multi-level, residential-sized bungalows averaging approximately 3,000 square feet, each with a private garden, gourmet kitchen, plunge pool and views of Beverly Hills. Each bungalow will feature all the Mr. C amenities, including spa treatments, housekeeping, and room service from the signature Mr. C restaurant.

The hotel restaurant, under the same name, will feature classic dishes from Cipriani alongside grilled specialties and pizzas. The restaurant will offer indoor and outdoor seating, a separate entrance for non-hotel guests, and two private rooms for more intimate occasions. Mr. C will also feature an outdoor pool for hotel guests only and indoor/outdoor private event space boasting 360-degree panoramic city views from the 12th floor of the hotel, with a private exterior glass elevator.

Our prediction: Mr. C. might just be the new see-and-be-seen locale in L.A. for 2011.

Controversy over new Turkish Airlines spokesman Kobe Bryant

by Meg Nesterov on

In order to promote the upcoming new Los Angeles–Istanbul flights, the new Turkish Airlines spokesman Kobe Bryant has prompted some protest in the Armenian American community. Turkey (as well as the United States) does not recognize the death of 1.5 million Armenians at the end of Turkey’s Ottoman Empire as genocide. 700,000 Armenian Americans in California are hoping Bryant will use his stature to raise awareness and put pressure on the United States to recognize the deaths, threatening to boycott the basketball star and the L.A. Lakers if he doesn’t back out of the deal.

Should he continue with the deal, Bryant will make his own inaugural trip in 2011. “I’ve never been to Turkey,” Bryant told CNBC. “But all the guys on the team in the league who have been keep saying it’s one of the hottest places to go to.” The LAX-IST flights will begin in March, four times a week. Turkish Airlines also has direct flights from New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

Turkish Airlines’ current brand embassador is actor Kevin Costner, though no protests are known against his films or for the work of Benicio del Toro, whose image can be seen all over Turkey in advertisements for Magnum ice cream.



[Photo via Flickr by Keith Allison]

Body parts found in backpack in Los Angeles hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

What was a typical day for a housekeeper in a Los Angeles hotel turned into a real life nightmare. During a routine cleaning of a room at the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles, a housekeeper picked up a backpack left behind in a guest room and found body parts.

The Los Angeles Times reports the body of 49-year-old Herbert White was found on Nov. 29 and was “cut up into five different parts – basically his limbs were removed.” According to the paper, a Pennsylvania couple have been charged with heinous crime. The Los Angeles district attorney issued a warrant for the couple’s arrest, charging them with capital murder involving torture.

The hotel is located in LA’s ‘skid row’ neighborhood. A security guard was called the night of presumed murder because of “commotion in the room.” When the guard went to the room, the couple promised they’d keep quiet.

Additional body parts were found wrapped in blankets underneath the bed, and a knife was found in the hotel room, the paper says. Continental Hotel representatives declined to comment.

[via USA Today]